The History of Wyandot County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns general and local statistics, military record, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc, Part 32

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, Leggett, Conaway
Number of Pages: 1072

USA > Ohio > Wyandot County > The History of Wyandot County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns general and local statistics, military record, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc > Part 32

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In the summer of 1826, Rev. J. B. Finley, accompanied by the chiefs Mononcue and Between-the-logs, and Samuel Brown as interpreter, visited the cities of Buffalo, Albany, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Wash- ington. At each point great crowds gathered to see and hear them, and all expressed the utmost surprise and delight after listening to the addresses of these eloquent, Christianized sons of the forest. They returned home at the end of three months.

In the autumn of that year, Judge Leib, an agent appointed by the gov- ernment to visit all the Indian mission schools to which the government had made appropriations of money, reported to the Secretary of War as follows: "On Tuesday, the 10th of November last, I left Detroit for Upper Sandusky, where I arrived on the 12th, and found this establishment in the most flourishing state. All was harmony, order and regularity under the superintending care of the Rev. Mr. Finley. Too much praise cannot be bestowed on this gentleman. His great good sense, his unaffected zeal in the reformation of the Indians, his gracious manners and conciliating dis- position fit him in a peculiar manner for the accomplishment of his pur- pose, and the fruits of his labors are everywhere visible; they are to be found in every Indian and Indian habitation. By Indian habitation here is meant a good comfortable dwelling, built in the modern country style, with neat and well-finished apartments, and furnished with chairs, tables, bedsteads and beds, equal at least, in all respects to the generality of whites

290

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

around them. The Wyandots are a fine race, and I consider their civiliza- tion accomplished, and little short in their general improvement to an equal number of whites in our frontier settlements. They are charmingly situated in a most fruitful country. They hunt more for sport than for subsistence, for cattle seem to abound among them, and their good condi- tion gives assurance of the fertility of their soil and the rich herbage which it produces, for the land is everywhere covered with the richest blue grass. " They mostly dress like their white neighbors, and seem as con- tented and happy as any other portion of people I ever saw. A stranger would believe he was passing through a white population, if the inhabitants were not seen; for besides the neatness of their houses, with brick chimneys and glazed windows, you see horses, cows, sheep and hogs grazing everywhere, and wagons, harness, plows, and other implements of husbandry in their proper places. In short, they are the only Indians within the circle of my visits whom I consider as entirely reclaimed, and whom I should consider it a cruelty to attempt to remove. * * A good and handsome stone meeting-house, forty feet in length by thirty in breadth, has been erected since last year. *

* The mission farm is well sup- plied with horses, oxen, cows and swine, and all the necessary farming utensils. I cannot forbear mentioning a plan adopted by this tribe, under the auspices of the Superintendent, which promises the most salutary effects. A considerable store has been fitted up on their reserve, and furnished with every species of goods suited to their wants, and purchased with their an- nuities. An account is opened with each individual who deals thereat, and a very small profit acquired. Mr. William Walker, a quadroon, one of the tribe, a trustworthy man, and well qualified by his habits and education to conduct the business, is their agent. The benefits resulting from this es- tablishment are obvious. The Indians can, at home, procure every necessary article at a cheap rate. and avoid not only every temptation which assails him when he goes abroad, but also great imposition. The profits of the store are appropriated to the general benefit. This plan, it seems to me, promises many advantages. The merchandise with which this store is fur- nished was bought in New York on good terms."

Between-the-logs died of consumption January 1, 1827. During the last part of the same year, Rev. Mr. Finley terminated his labors with the Wyandots, leaving Rev. James Gilruth in control. Among the successors of the latter were Messrs. Thompson, Shaw, Allen and Wheeler, ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It is probable, however, that the mission attained its greatest degree of activity and substantial prosperity just at the close of Mr. Finley's superintendency.

By a treaty concluded at Little Sandusky August 3, 1829, between John McElvaine, Commissioner on the part of the United States, and the chiefs and head men of the Delawares, the latter ceded their reservation to the United States for the sum of $3,000, and removed west of the Mississippi. This reservation was granted to the Delawares at the treaty of the Maumee Rapids. It contained nine square miles, and adjoined the Wyandot Reserve on the southeast, thus embracing portions of the present townships of An- trim and Pitt, in Wyandot County. By permission of the Wyandots, these Indians made a village on the west bank of the Sandusky River, below the mouth of Broken Sword Creek, where a fine spring emerges from the river bank. Capt. Pipe, Jr , a son of the Capt. Pipe who burned Col. Crawford at the stake, was with them, and their village was called Pipetown, or Capt. Pipe's village. Among those named in the original grant at the

291

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

treaty of the Maumee Rapids (several of whom survived until after their removal beyond the Mississippi) were Capt. Pipe, Zeshauau or James Arm- strong, Mahautoo or John Armstrong, Sanoudoyeasquaw or Silas Armstrong, Rlack Raccoon, Billy Montour, Buckwheat, William Doudee, Thomas Lyons, Johnnycake, Capt. Wolf, Isaac Hill, John Hill, Tishatahooms or Widow Armstrong, Ayenucere, Hoomaurou or John Ming and Youdorast.

The Delawares were ever a savage, superstitious, treacherous race, and the whites of the pioneer days never placed much dependence upon their promises. Buckwheat, one of the Indians mentioned above, was part negro. About the year 1827 he was accused of witchcraft, and after having been tried and found guilty was sentenced to die by being burned alive. Maj. Anthony Bowsher, the founder of Bowsherville, and one of the very few surviving pioneers of the county, witnessed the burning. From his account, it appears that Buckwheat was first made so drunk with whisky that he was unable to stand; then he was bound and placed upon a blazing fire of brush, wood, etc., and to insure his remaining there, a heavy and long piece of green timber was placed upon his body, and that kept in place by Indians sitting upon both ends of it. Around the victim circled and danced all the Indians there assembled. All were maddened with whisky passed around by an old squaw, and the shouts and songs rendered were most terrifying. The hideous orgies continued for two days and nights. Even Bowsher was made to move around the burning remains of Buckwheat with them, but he states that he refused to taste any of the whisky. This affair took place near the bank of the river, opposite the present town of Little San- dusky.

Thomas Lyons. or "Old Tom Lyons," as he was termed by the whites, was another conspicuous character among this small band of Delawares. He claimed that Gen. Wayne gave him his name and a coat, likewise that he was more than one hundred and sixty years old. However, as old Tom counted the summer a year. and the winter a year, his alleged great age can easily be accounted for. He it was who interpreted for the colored man Stewart at Pipetown, in 1816, when the latter was traveling toward Upper Sandusky. He had lived with the Delawares in Pennsylvania before these Indians were forced to remove to Ohio. He had been a strong, powerful man, and made many enemies among the whites, by reason of bis fondness in boasting of his deeds of prowess, and in relating many incidents of the wars through which he had passed. He seemed to take great delight in as- serting that he had killed and scalped ninety-nine whites, including men, women and children, and only desired to make the number an even one hundred before being called to the happy hunting grounds. Various ac- counts have been published concerning the time and place of his death. One statement is that Samuel Spurgeon, who, in common with many other white men of his acquaintance, did not enjoy such boasting, met him alone one day in the woods and offered Lyons an opportunity to make him the hundredth victim, but Lyons failing in his aim, Spurgeon shot him dead and left his body lying in the forest as food for wild animals. Another per- son claims that old Tom was shot in his wigwam, near Fort Ball, by two white hunters from Delaware County, while others assert that he died a natural death at Pipestown, on the Delaware Reservation. Lyons' wife is reputed to have been one of the finest looking squaws in the tribe, being, in fact, a queen of beauty among them. He was very proud of her. and kept her dressed in the height of Indian fashion, and did not compel her to per- form menial labor, as was the custom among the Indians.

292

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

Solomon Johnycake, the husband of Sally Williams, was well known to the early settlers of the region now known as Wyandot County. He was a well-developed, good-natured, friendly hunter, and it was customary for Sally and the children to accompany him on his hunting excursions. He usually constructed a neat bark wigwam to protect his squaw and chil- dren from the storms and exposures of the forest, while he ranged the woods in search of game. He sometimes exchanged venison for side-pork with the white settlers, and frequently parties, who had a curiosity to see Sally (who was a quarter-blood) and the children visited his wigwam. Sally was regarded as a very neat housekeeper, and preferred, as far as possible, to imitate the whites. Her mother, a white woman, by the name of Castle- man, was captured in girlhood, upon the Pennsylvania frontier. Johny- cake went West with his people. Three of his sons served in a Kansas Indian company of the Union army during the war of the rebellion.

Capt. Billy Doudee, or Dowdee, was, in point of notoriety, nearly equal to Old Tom Lyons. Nickels, his son-in-law, was a very bad Indian, and Dowdee's son Tom was not much better. Capt. Beckley, in his reminis- cences of pioneer life, relates the following incidents, as told by Benjamin Sharrock, a former citizen of Marion County:

"About the year 1821 or 1822, there were several Indians who fre- quently camped and hunted on the waters of the West and Middle Forks of the Whetstone, to wit, Capt. Dowdee, his son Tom, and Capt. Dowdee's son-in-law, Nickels (the bad Indian), the subject of this narrative. He was regarded as a dangerous man among his own companions. He had become embittered against Benjamin Sharrock, his brother, Everard Sharrock, and Jacob Stateler, who, with his three sons, Andrew, James and John (the two latter were twin brothers), lived in a cabin on or near the land now owned by George Diegle, Esq., in Tully Township. The Dowdees had frequently shared the hospitalities of our cabin and we regarded them as peaceable and well-disposed citizens.

" Mr. Sharrock, in relating his difficulty with this bad Indian, says : "This Indian, Nickels, had been skulking around and watching my house, trying to get a chance to shoot me. I have seen him dodge from tree to tree when trying to get a shot at me. He also made threats of killing my stock. About this time, he and the two Dowdees were encamped on the boundary north of where Iberia now is. Mr. Catrell, my brother and my- self held a consultation, whereupon we resolved that this state of things should no longer be tolerated, and the next morning was the time agreed upon to bring this matter to the test. They were to be at my house fully armed for any emergency. They were promptly on time, and as Catrell had no gun, he took my tomahawk, sheath knife, etc.

"In this plight, we went directly to their camp, called Tom Dowdee out and ordered him to take those coon skins out of "them" frames. (They are stretched in frames to dry and keep them in shape. ) We next went to the tent of Tom's father, old Capt. Dowdee, and told him how Nickels had been watching my house, and that he threatened to kill me and my stock. I told him to call Nickels out, but he would not leave his hut. We told them we would not endure such treatment any longer, and that we had come to settle it right then and there, and were ready to fight it out. The Dowdees seemed to be peaceably inclined, and as Nickels did not show him- self, the matter was dropped for a short time. Some time after this, as I was returning from Wooster, where I had been to enter a piece of land, I saw quite a number of moccasin tracks in the snow near Hosford's.

293

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

1 thought there would bo trouble, as it appeared from the tracks that there were about thirty persons, and by the way they had tumbled about, con- cluded that they were on a big drunk. I followed their tracks from Hos. ford's down the road leading to our cabin. They had not proceeded far before they left their tracks in the snow somewhat besprinkled with blood. £ I afterward learned that Tom Dowdee had stabbed another Indian, inflicting two dangerous wounds. They were camped north of my house on the land now owned by James Dunlap. The excitement among the settlers now became intense, and soon a number of us repaired to their camp, but we had not been there long before Tom Dowdee rushed upon me and grasped mo by the collar. perhaps intending to retaliate for the visit we had made to their camp a few days before. I was not slow in returning the compli- ment by taking him by the throat, and my arms boing the longest I could easily hold him at bay At this moment we saw an Indian boy loading a gun. I told Dowdee several times to let me alone, but he still persisted in fighting me. J then attempted to give him a severe thrust with my gun barrel; he sprang and grasped the gun which the boy had just loaded, when several of the squaws also grasped it to prevent him from shooting me. All this time I kept my riffe up with a steady aim upon the Indian, ready to fire before be should be able to fire at me. At this crisis Joel Loverick interfered and the Indians allowed him to take possession of the gun, so the quarrel was then settled without bloodshed. But what grieves me to this day is that Bashford and Loverick both knew that my riffe was not primed all the time I was aiming it at the Indian, and they did not tell me. The next day I was out in the woods with my gun, and came upon Dowdee before he discov- ered me. He had no gun with him, and he begged and implored me not to kill him, promising over and over that if I would not he would never molest me. but would be my fast friend as long as he lived. I gladly agreed to his proposal, and to his credit be it said I never saw him after that time but that he met, me with the kindest greetings.'

" About the same time some of the Indians told Stateler, 'Nickels. bad Indian, by and by he go to Stony Creek, before he go he say he kill State- ler and two Sharrocks, and we 'fraid that big fight. We want white man to kill Nickels, then Indians say Nickels gone to Stony Creek.'

" We never saw Nickels after about that time, but did not know at what moment he would come down upon us. I often asked the Indians whether they knew where Nickels was, and they usually replied that he had gone to Stony Creek. We had often seen a gun in the settlement, first owned by one, then by another, that I believed was Nickels' gun. Jake Stateler often stayed with us several weeks at a time, and many times when we spoke about those Indians, Jake would say, 'Nickels will never do you any harm,' but made no further disclosures until a long while after; when the subject again came up, he said:

" 'Ben, Nickels will never hurt you nor your brother.

" 'How do you know, Uncle Jake ?'

"' I know very well how I know, Uncle Ben.'

" . Did you never know what became of Nickels ?'

". No, Jake, I never knew what became of him any more than what the Indians told me, that he had gone to Stony Creek.'

"' I thought my boys had told you long ago, as they always thought so much of you. I will then tell you how I know what became of Nickels. After he was about ready to start for Stony Creek, ho had only one more job to do before he could leave Pipetown, and that was to kill Stateler and you

294

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

and your brother, if possible. No sooner had Nickels left Pipetown than the Indians sent another Indian by a different route to give us notice of his coming and of his intentions, desiring us to kill him and they would say he had gone to Stony Creek. The messenger arrived in time and departed. I loaded my rifle, put it in good order and went up to Coss' cabin to watch the Pipetown trail, on which I expected him to come. I did not wait long before I saw him coming, and stepping behind a tree, closely watched his movements. After he had come within easy range of my riffe, he stopped and commenced locking all around, which enabled me to take a steady aim at him; I fired, he sprang several feet from the ground with a terrific scream and fell dead, and that was the last of "Bad Indian." We took his gun, shot-pouch, tomahawk, butcher-knife, etc., and laid them by a log, and buried him under the roots of a large tree that had been blown down near the foot of the bluff bank of the Whetstone, nearly opposite the old Coss cabin. Now, Uncle Ben, that is the reason why I know Nickels will never do you, or me, or your brother any harm.'"

Capt. Pipe, Jr., son of old Capt. Pipe, who burned Col. Crawford, was a small, ratbor spare man, and taciturn in his disposition. Ile never mar- ried. He went West with his tribe and died on their reservation about 1840. Among his own people he had the reputation of being a great "medicine man." At an early day, Reuben Drake, who lived in Grand Prairie Town- ship, Marion County, had two children bitten by a rattlesnake, one of whom died. Having beard of Capt. Pipe's reputation, he sent for him to come and cure the other child. Pipe is said to have been somewhat under the influence of whisky at the time, and refused at first to go; but being strongly urged, finally visited the cabin of Mr. Drako. Upon his arrival he looked at the child, which was in great pain, exclaiming, " great pain, very sick." He then stated he could do nothing for half an hour, and laid down by the cradle and snored soundly for some time, then arose and called for milk, which was furnished, when he pounded some roots, which he had brought with him, poured the milk over them, gave the child a portion to drink, ap- plied more of the same in the nature of a poultice to the place bitten, rockod the child some time in its cradle, when it fell into a slumber and soon be- gan to perspire freely. Upon seeing this effect of his remedy, the Captain said, "It get well;" and true enough the child recovered rapidly.

The Delawares as well as the Wyandots, when journeying from their res- ervations in search of game, almost invariably stopped at all the houses of the white sottlers, and when they came to a white man's cabin, expected to receive the hospitality of its inmatos; if they did not, they were much of- fonded. They would say, "very bad man, vory bad man." They would never accept a bed to sleep upon; all that was necessary was to have a good back log on, and a few extra pieces of wood near by, especially in cold weather, for them to put on the fire when needed. They usually carried their blankets, and would spread them upon the floor before the fire, and give no further trouble. Often they would leave those who had sheltered them a saddle of venison or some other commodity which they had to spare. Says an early pioneer: " We have seen as many as twenty or thirty in a cara- van pass by here, with their hunting material and equipments packed on their ponies, all in single file, on their uld Sandusky and Pipetown trail. If we would meet half a dozen or more of them together, it was seldom that we could induce more than one of them to say one word in English. Ono of them would do all the talking or interpret for the others. Why they did so I could not say. Tommy Vanhorn once related an amusing incident.

295

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

He had been imbibing a little, and on his way home met one of those Indi- ans who could not utter one word of English, but used the pantomimic lan- guage instead-that of gestures or motions. But it so happened that while they were thus conveying their thoughts to each other, Tommy stepped around to windward of the red man or the red man got to leeward of Tommy, and his olfactories not being at fault, inhaled the odor of Tommy's breath. He straightened up, looked Tommy square in the face, and lo! Mr. Indian's colloquial powers were now complete, saying in as good English as Lord Mansfield ever could have uttered: 'Where you get whisky?' "

In the fall of 1830, a young brave of one of the Wyandot tribes killed another of the same nation. The murderer was arrested, tried, found guilty and shot. However, this affair is best told by the chief, Mononcue, in a let- ter addressed to Mr. Finley, as follows:

DEAR SIR: * * * *

UPPER SANDUSKY, October 29, 1830. * * *

One of our young men was killed by another about two or three weeks ago. The murdered was John Barnet's half-brother, the murderer, Soo-de-nooks, or Black Chief's, son. The sentence of the chiefs was the perpetual banishment of the murderer and the confiscation of all his property. When the sentence was made known to the nation, there was a general dissatisfaction; and the sentence of the chiefs was set aside by the nation. On Thursday morning, about daylight, he was arrested and brought before the nation assembled, and his case was tried by all the men (that vote) over the age of twenty-one, whether he should live or die. The votes were counted, and there were 112 in favor of his death, and twelve in favor of his living. Sentence of death was accord- ingly passed against him, and on the second Friday he was shot by six men chosen for that purpose-three from the Christian party and three from the heathen party. The executioners were Francis Cotter, Lump-on-the-head, Silas Armstrong, Joe Enos, Soo- cuh-guess, and Saw-yau-wa-hoy. The execution was conducted in Indian military style; and we hope it will be a great warning to others, and be the means of prevent- ing such crimes hereafter. I remain, yours affectionately,

REV. J. B. FINLEY.

MONONCUE.

After the departure of their old neighbors-the Delawares-for the West, the Wyandots were the only considerable body of Indians remaining in the State of Ohio. Meanwhile the white settlers had encircled their reservations at Upper Sandusky and the Big Spring with towns and cultivated lands, and each year were asking Congress to purchase these reservations, and thus open the way for their occupation by the whites. Hence, in act- ing upon these unceasing urgent petitions, agents of the General Govern- ment had endeavored to open negotiations with the Wyandots for the pur- chase of their lands as early as 1825. But they firmly resisted all blandish- ments and pleadings to that end for nearly twenty years thereafter. How- ever, it seems that such a condition of affairs could not always exist; they had sadly degenerated from the prosperous state in which they were left by Mr. Finley in 1827. A majority of them had gone back to their old habits of intemperance and heathenism, and at last, when poor in purse and charac- ter, they were induced to give up their narrow possessions here in lieu of a great sum of money, and thousands of broad acres lying west of Missouri. Col. John Johnston, of Piqua, Ohio, conducted the negotiations on the part of the United States, and concluded the purchase at Upper Sandusky on the 17th day of March, 1842. In speaking of this transaction and the proceed- ings which led to it, Col. Johnston has said:

" About 1800, this tribe contained about 2,200 souls; and in March, 1842, when, as Commissioner of the United States, I concluded with them a treaty of cession and emigration, they had become reduced to less than 800 of all ages and both sexes. Before the Revolutionary war, a large portion of the Wyandots had embraced Christianity in the communion of the Roman Catholic Church. In the early part of my agency, Presbyterians had a mission

296

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

among them at Lower Sandusky, under the care of the Rev. Joseph Badger. The war of 1812 broke up this benevolent enterprise. When peace was restored, the Methodists became the spiritual instructors of these Indians, and continued in charge of them until their final removal westward of Missouri. The mis- sion had once been in a very prosperous condition, but of late years had greatly declined, many of the Indians having gone back to habits of intem- perance and heathenism; a few continued steadfast to their Christian pro- fession. Of this number was Grey Eyes, a regularly ordained minister, of pure Wyandot blood, a holy, devoted, and exemplary Christian. This man was resolutely opposed to the emigration of his people, and was against me at every step of a long and protracted negotiation of twelve months' con- tinnance. I finally overcame all objections; on the last vote, more than two- thirds of the whole male population were found in favor of removal. The preacher had always asserted that under no circumstances would he ever go westward. His age was about forty-eight years; his character forbade any approaches to tampering with him; and although I felt very sensibly his in- fluence, yet I never addressed myself to him personally on the subject of the treaty. But as soon as the whole nation, in open council, had voted to leave their country and seek a new home far in the West, I sent an invitation to the preacher to come and dine with me and spend an evening in consulta- tion; he came accordingly." As a result of this interview, it appears that Grey Eyes changed his purpose, for he removed West with his people.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The History of Wyandot County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns general and local statistics, military record, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc, Part 32

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, Leggett, Conaway Number of Pages: 1072

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, Leggett, Conaway
Number of Pages: 1072